Hearing His Words
by Enjolras345
Summary: Oneshot. Eponine, Grantaire and Enjolras have been friends since they were children and it was inevitable that Eponine would fall for one of the guys, it's just he doesn't seem to love her back.. And she doesn't know that the other one loves her. Confused yet? It's less confusing that the summary. Please read.


**A/N This is a oneshot that I made for Runforititsjavert. I hope you all enjoy it! Please review and thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Les Miserables or any of the characters. Yada yada yada**

The Cafe Musian was lit up dimly in the night, as the meeting continued for the fifth straight hour in a row.

Grantaire, sat alone in his chair that was seated far from the others who spoke so passionately at a time of the night when they should be asleep. Groaning, he took another swig of his wine and leaned his head back against the damp wall, trying to drown out their voices. "Does it really matter? None of your plans are going to work!" His voice blurted out, in the direction of the other men who all stood huddled around a table with charts, notes, and books sprawled out in front of them.

The men turned and looked at Grantaire, their expressions confused and frustrated. Those were the only sort of looks Grantaire ever seemed to get. They all stayed that way until Enjolras, the one who seemed to be in charge of the group glared in his direction, "You know nothing of freedom, wine cask. For you are chained to that alcohol just as the prisoners are chained in their cells. We wouldn't expect you to understand, or be able to see the future that we see."

Grantaire swallowed and lowered his head, ashamed that Apollo had gotten upset with him. He remembered a time when his Apollo didn't detest him. Back when they were children, he in his abusive household and Enjolras in his rich one. They had stayed together through thick and thin, though when the memories and abuse got to be to much, Grantaire turned to Alchohol to numb the pain, which caused Enjolras to turn away from him.

He wished he could change. Be someone Enjolras would want to be friends with, but he knew he was beyond help. And even if he did change, Enjolras had changed too. He was no longer the free of worry child he had known when he was younger. Enjolras had turned into a man who stood not for himself, but for a country. A man who pushed away his personal wants and at times needs to better the lives of others. That's what one saw when they looked at him. But the truth was, Grantaire knew what Enjolras really had changed into.

He was a man that had seen to much. He had seen things, and heard things, that caused him to become this way. He had been such a open child, allowing anything and everything to touch him that by the time he was grown, he had learned that if you don't allow anything in then it can't break you. If you don't show any emotion, they can't use it against you. Both of the boys had gone to college, Enjolras to study law, and Grantaire to get as far away from his old house as he could. THe plan had been perfect at first, but then Enjolras began to see things and close up, and Grantaire began to drink more.

The truth was, Grantaire missed the old Enjolras, he missed his old self as well. But both of those boys were long gone. And that was the hardest for him to accept.

As he kept his head down, dark curls falling in front of his eyes, Grantaire sniffled back a few tears and wrung his hands as he waited for the students eyes to avert back to their work.

As they did, he glanced back up and saw Eponine enter the meeting room.

"Enjolras again?" She whispered as she placed a bottle of wine in the drunkards lap which he nodded to her once in thanks.

"I think I yelled at him again," He took a drink of the new bottle of wine and tossed the empty bottle away. "But I'm not sure."

Eponine nodded and sat down on the floor next to Grantaire's chair. "I remember when he used to talk to us like that." She said as she nodded in the direction of where Enjolras stood, talking to Combeferre and the two laughed lightly at what had been said.

"So do I." Grantaire mumbled and Eponine continued to watch the two.

"I miss hearing him laugh." Eponine said dryly, not taking her eyes off of Enjolras. "He has the best laugh."

Grantaire swallowed and suddenly wondered what his own laugh sounded like, and wondered if she liked his. He knew Eponine had had a crush on Enjolras since they were all kids and used to meet up in front of the old bakery but she had never mustered the courage to tell him. And now, if she did both of them knew it would make no difference. He had stopped letting people close to him long ago.

"The revolution took his laugh a long time ago, Ponine." Grantaire said, glancing in her direction and finding that she still sat, watching Enjolras with eyes full of wonder.

"I know. I still miss it though. That and the way he used to ruffle your hair and run his hands through mine when we were tired. Do you remember that?" She raised her hand to touch her hair as if trying to relive the memory.

Grantaire smiled slightly then his smile faded as he saw the finger shaped, bruises that were just above her wrists. He reached down and grabbed her lightly at the top of her arm and brought her arm closer to his face to see wether his eyes were deceiving him as they did often these days.

When he saw that they were not, and that the bruises were real he suddenly became sober and grabbed her hand and walked out of the room to her. "Ponine who did this to you?"

Eponine's eyes were pooling with tears that she was clearly trying to fight back and her hand that he held in his shook uncontrollably. "It doesn't matter, Grantaire.. I'm fine."

Grantaire shook his head and placed his hand on her cheek and turned her head to face him gently. "It's not fine, Eponine tell me who did this. Was it your father?"

Eponine flinched at the thought of her father but shook her head. "Grantaire it wasn't him. And there's really nothing you can do about this.." Her voice trailed off and a few tears slid down her dirty cheeks. "Grantaire I'm supposed to be marrying him. But he scares me."

As Eponine laid her head on Grantaire's chest and let the tears fall silently down her cheeks. Grantaire made the connection in his mind and his eyes grew wide. Holding Eponine back a little ways from him so that he could see her face he looked her in the eyes, "Montparnasse? Is that who did this to you?"

Eponine, did not reply. Only glanced down at the two pairs of worn shoes that were facing each other.

Grantaire stroked Eponine's hair then turned to go out the door. "Stay here."

He returned to the Cafe that night with his knuckles bloocy and bruised. Eponine ran to him when he arrived and hugged him tightly. "I thought you had gotten hurt."

Grantaire only chuckled, "I'm fine. I wouldn't say the same for Montparnasse though." With the cockiness in his voice and the pride in his step, Eponine had guessed he had not gotten hurt durning what must have been a fight. That is, until she saw him step into the light of the Cafe, revealing a black eye, and a cut that was causing part of his chin and his bottom lip to bleed rapidly. "Oh, Grantaire."

She shook her head and pulled him into the Cafe.

After she had cleaned his cuts and scrapes the two were exhausted and found a spot in the lower room of the Cafe to curl up underneath the blanket that was used to cover the Student's ammunition.

"I don't have to marry him?" Eponine asked timidly, "What if my Papa finds out? He'll kill me grantaire.. I mean really, he will."

Grantaire pulled her closer to himself, trying to get her unusually cold body to warm. "He won't find out. And if he does, it won't matter. You're going to be my roommate and that way, I can protect you."

Eponine smiled slightly and laid her head against his shoulder and closed his eyes. "You don't have to protect me, Enjolras can protect me."

Grantaire felt as though he had been punched in the gut as she said this. He would protect her though, wether she thought she needed it from him or not. "I'm sure he will, but I can help out." He whispered as they both began to drift off to sleep.

"I love him, Grantaire." Eponine mumbled against Grantaire's old shirt.

"I know you do." Grantaire replied quietly, "And I love you." He held his breath for her to respond but soon found that Eponine was fast asleep cuddled up against him.

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The week that followed was the week of the barricade. As they took their places at lamarques funeral, Eponine pulled Grantaire to the side, her eyes shinning with fear and anxiousness. "Grantaire?" She pressed her hand up against his cheek and swallowed, Grantaire smiled slightly pleased with himself when he saw that the bruises that had stained her arms were now gone.

"Yes, Ponine?" He cocked his head to the side and looked into her chocolate brown eyes.

"Can you do me a favor?" Her whisper barley carried through the large crowd, and she swatted away the bit of hair that fell through her cap.

Grantaire nodded quickly.

_Anything for you._

Eponine smiled tiredly and looked into Grantaire's eyes, every single day spent with her came rushing back to him and seemed to punch him in the stomach. Knocking the wind out of him.

"I-I need you to protect Enjolras, Grantaire please. I can't- I can't live without him."

_I can't live without you._

Grantaire nodded and smiled forcedly. "Of course. Of course I'll protect him, Eponine."

Eponine smiled, genuinely this time and pressed both of the palms of her hands up to his cheeks and kissed him gently on the lips. "Thank you." She whispered, before disappearing into the crowd.

Grantaire watched as she ran out of sight and took her place to get ready for the attack.

"I love you, Eponine!" He shouted in her direction, desperate for her to hear, but his yell was drowned out by the shouts of the start of the protest.

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The barricade turned bloody fast, and after the first night, they all knew they were going to die.

The three childhood friends sat spread apart from each other. All consumed in their own thoughts. Eponine's eyes stayed locked on Enjolras and Grantaire's eyes stayed locked on Eponine.

The second attack came. And things got worse, men fell quicker than ever and friends were forced to leave behind lifeless, bleeding bodies of their once best friends.

The remaining students ran to the top of the Cafe, seeking safety in the room they had so often held meetings in.

Soon the only students that remained were Enjolras, Grantaire, and Eponine. Eponine had ran into the other room searching for some sort of gun in a desperate attempt to save her friends.

The soldiers saw Enjolras and immediately recognized him as the leader. When they pointed their guns at Enjolras, Grantaire was reminded of the promise he had made Eponine and he stepped in front of Enjolras.

"Don't-Don't kill him.. Kill me instead. Please?" He didn't want to die, but he knew he could not bear to live and see the sadness in Eponine's eyes every day she saw him and was reminded of the promise he had broken if he did not try.

"Please?" He repeated.

"No man is to be left alive." The soldier that seemed to be in charge replied, "We'll shoot you both."

Grantaire stood, unflinchingly next to Enjolras. Who lifted the red flag that he so loved and they both lifted their chins and waited for the blow.

Just before the shots were fired, Eponine appeared in the doorway, her cheek with a deep cut across her cheek and her eyes filled with fear as she saw what was about to happen.

Grantaire took one final breath, kept his eyes on Eponine and said with as much courage as he had ever spoken with, "I love you, Eponine."

And for the first, and last time, she heard him.

**A/N Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this oneshot! Please review!**


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